Elongate Packing

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an elongate packing for the packing of a granular substance, in particular for the packing of a spray powder for the thermal coating of a surface of a workpiece. In accordance with the invention, the elongate packing includes a plurality of individual packing pockets of presettable size, with a meterable quantity of the granular substance being packed closed with respect to an outer environment in the individual packing pocket. The invention further relates to a method for the loading of a treatment apparatus with a granular substance to a treatment apparatus for the use of an elongate packing, to a method for the manufacture of an elongate packing and to a packing apparatus.

The invention relates to an elongate packing, to a method for the loading of a treatment apparatus having an elongate packing, to a treatment apparatus, to a method for the manufacture of an elongate packing and to a packing apparatus in accordance with the preamble of the independent claim of the respective category.

Powder processing devices of the most varied type which have to be supplied in the operating state with powdery materials such as spray powders, minerals such as sand or granulates which can be made of the most varied materials, as a rule include a powder supply system which is substantially made up of a powder conveying system with which the powder can be supplied to the powder processing device from a storage container in which a specific quantity of the required powder can be stored as a stock.

In industrial practice, the previously mentioned powder processing devices, can, for example, be thermal spray apparatus such as plasma pistols, cold gas spraying systems or the different well-known flame spraying systems and arc spraying systems (in which powder can also partly be processed in parallel in addition to spray wire) or other powder processing systems with which surfaces of workpieces can be refined. Examples for other powder processing devices are apparatus for the surface treatment of workpieces, for example, for the abrasive, roughening or polishing treatment of a surface of a workpiece by means of shot, for example by means of minerals such as sand, fine dust or a metallic, ceramic or synthetic shot.

The problem of all these powder processing devices named by way of example and known from the prior art is that they have conventional powder conveying systems whose storage containers for the corresponding powder or shot are of limited capacity and which as a rule, for example, have a maximum volume of 5 liters in the case of thermal spray systems. This in particular an extreme impediment for mass production, that is when parts have to be provided with a thermal spray coating in large volumes, for example, in mass production or when the surfaces of workpieces have to be treated with shot by means of blasting.

In mass production, the processes, for example the coating of workpieces, has to be interrupted relatively frequently at regular intervals to load the storage containers again, which naturally causes substantial time delays and in addition can only be effected in a complex and/or expensive manner.

In addition, the quality of the process is frequently not completely independent of the filling level of the storage container. It can thus be advantageous in thermal spraying, in dependence on the spray process and/or on the spray material and/or on the required quality of the layer to be sprayed, that the filling level in the storage container only changes between a preset maximum and minimum value since the specific filling level, for example, also effects the powder conveying rate so that too high a filling level and/or too low a filling level can negatively affect the quality of a layer to be sprayed.

In the thermal coating of cylinder running surfaces of reciprocating combustion engines in an industrial scale, for example in the coating of truck engines, modern engines for passenger vehicles, engines for two-wheel vehicles or other land vehicles, air vehicles or ocean vehicles, large quantities of spray powder are processed daily. The spray powder is in this respect, as initially mentioned, supplied for weight reasons in packages of a volume of 1 liter to 5 liters, in a few cases also up to a volume of 7 liters. Since the spray powders used are very frequently mixtures of different components which have a different chemical composition, different powder grain sizes, different powder grain shapes, different specific weights, etc., these spray powders segregate more or less strongly on transport so that the spray powders have to be mixed again in a complex and/or expensive manner in a tumbling machine before they can be used in the coating plant. The mixing procedure is in this respect time-consuming and typically requires 10 minutes and more, with the mixing procedure itself frequently only taking place with an unsatisfactory result.

A cylinder liner of an internal combustion engine is, for example, coated at the inner piston running surface every 40 seconds in practice on the conveyor belt. In this respect, 300 g spray powder are e.g. required per cylinder liner, depending on it size, which produces a consumption of approximately 500 g spray powder a minute. This means that an operator has to have a new package, usually in the form of a flask filled with spray powder, processed in the tumbling machine approximately every 3-6 minutes. Removing an empty flask from the spray apparatus and installing a new flask, whose content has been mixed again in the tumbling machine, into the spray apparatus. One person is thus constantly occupied only with the preparation and the exchange of the spray powder flasks.

In this respect, these problems naturally not only occur in connection with the coating of cylinder liners, but are very generally problematic in thermal spraying, but also in other processing procedures which utilize powdery or granular substances such as in surface treatment by abrasive blasting processes such as sandblasting with granular powders or powder mixtures.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a new supply system for the provision of granular substances to a treatment apparatus, in particular a new supply system for the provision of spray powders to a thermal spray apparatus, with which the disadvantages of the prior art can be avoided. Above all, a segregation should be avoided on the transport of the granular substances so that the mixing of the granular substance in the tumbling machine is omitted and in particular a direct automated subsequent delivery of the granular substance is made possible without the operation of the treatment apparatus to be supplied with powder having to be interrupted, with simultaneously ideal working results being able to be guaranteed.

The subject matters of the invention satisfying these objects are characterized by the features of the independent claims.

The dependent claims relate to particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention.

The invention thus relates to an elongate packing for the packing of a granular substance, in particular for the packing of a spray powder for the thermal coating of a surface of a workpiece. In accordance with the invention, the elongate packing includes a plurality of individual packing pockets of presettable size with a meterable quantity of the granular substance being packed closed with respect to an outer environment in the individual packing pocket.

The initially mentioned problems from the prior art are solved for the first time by the packing of the granular substance in the elongate packing in accordance with the invention, in particular e.g. by the packing of a spray powder for thermal coating. The elongate packing of the present invention is designed as a long mechanically flexible strand in which packing pockets are provided at specific intervals at least in the longitudinal direction of the strand, with a presettable quantity of granular substance being metered into said packing pockets and being packed protected from influences from the environment. The long flexible elongate packing can be transported in a simple manner in that the elongate packing can be placed, for example, in a plurality of layers over one another and/or next to one another in a very compact manner in a transport container or can, for example, be delivered packed in a transport foil.

In this respect, the elongate packing, which is equipped with a plurality of packing pockets, can be automatically supplied very easily by an automatic conveying device, for example by a pair of conveying rollers, to a treatment apparatus, which is preferably a thermal spray apparatus, so that the spray powder can be conveyed automatically e.g. into a thermal spray gun where it is then available for thermal spraying. The constant changing of the packages or flasks known from the prior art which only contain a very limited store of spray powder is thus omitted. In principle, the elongate packing in accordance with the invention can be designed as long as desired with as many packing pockets as desired so that the treatment machine can be operated without interruption and without further operators for so long until other boundary conditions make an interruption necessary.

It is thus an essential feature of the invention that the treatment apparatus can be refilled in the operating state with a presettable quantity of granular substance, that is for example with powder or shot, and indeed without an ongoing process, for example a coating process which is in motion from a processing device equipped as a thermal spray apparatus, having to be interrupted or without personnel having to be permanently provided for the refilling. The treatment strand only has to be inserted into the automatic conveying device at the start of a work process. In this respect, the conveying device is preferably program-controlled by a data processing system so that the refill process can also be linked with other process procedures. A thermal coating process can thus, for example, be interrupted and restarted again as desired as long as all packing pockets of the elongate packing have not been emptied.

In the case of mass production or in the mass production of a very large number of workpieces, very long service lives can thus be achieved without the production process having to be interrupted. A coating system for the thermal coating of a component such as a cylinder of an internal combustion engine can thus be operated for a whole week or longer without interruption, for example, without the process of the coating of the parts having to be interrupted for the refilling of the storage container if only an elongate packing of sufficient length is used. Two or more elongate packings can naturally also be combined to one even longer elongate packing.

In a special embodiment, the elongate packing extends along a longitudinal direction in a presettable length and the individual packing pockets are arranged at a presettable interval, preferably at an equidistant interval, along the longitudinal direction and form a first chain of packing pockets.

In another embodiment, a second chain or a plurality of additional chains of packing pockets can be provided in addition to the first chain of packing pockets and different types of granular substance can, for example, be packed into them in isolation from one another. The packing pockets in the first chain and in the second chain can, for example, have different sizes so that a different quantity of material can be packed in the packing pocket of the first chain than in the packing pockets of the second chain. If in each case the content of a packing pocket of the first chain and of the second chain are supplied to the treatment device together, a mixing ratio of two or more granular substances can thus be preset.

The distribution of the granular substance over two or more different chains of packing pockets can have different reasons in this respect. It is, for example, possible that two types of powder have to be processed simultaneously which cannot be stored in mixed form over longer periods for different reasons. It is also possible that one substance has to be packed differently than another substance. While one of the substances, for example, has to be protected from moisture, the other has to be protected against oxygen so that the packing pockets of the respective chains are produced from different materials.

It is understood in this respect that the packing pockets e.g. are also alternately filled with different substances within a chain if the corresponding processing procedure requires this. In this case, the treatment apparatus can be loaded alternately with a first substance and then with a second substance. The size of the packing pockets can also vary within one and the same chain.

Such packing variants or combinations are particularly interesting when complicated processes, for example complicated coating processes, should be realized automatically. In a complicated coating process, for example, the individual packing pockets can thus be filled alternately in a preset sequence with different spray powders and/or with different quantities of spray powder. Different workpieces can thereby, for example, be thermally coated with different layers after one another or different regions in one and the same workpiece can automatically be provided with different spray coatings without a manual changing of the spray powder being necessary. Or a plurality of different layers can automatically be sprayed over one another. The skilled person immediately understands that a whole series of other complicated combinations of individual steps can also be realized by use of a suitably loaded elongate packing, and not only for thermal spraying.

A step-wise treatment of a workpiece can thus also be realized with different blasting material on blasting with abrasive shot or different workpieces can be treated with different shot after one another.

In very specific cases, even different processes can be combined in that the packing pockets are filled with the required materials in a corresponding manner. For example, a workpiece can first be sandblasted by a combined processing apparatus with the content of one packing pocket, while in a next packing pocket a spray powder is contained with which the surface of the workpiece is then provided with a thermal spray coating.

In an embodiment particularly important for practice, the granular substance is a mixture of at least one first powder component and one second powder component. This is very frequently the case in thermal spraying. Modern spray materials are frequently a complex mixture of different components, for example, of metallic and ceramic components, with a mean grain size of the first powder component being different, for example, from a mean grain size of the second powder components and/or with the first powder component having a chemical composition which is different from a chemical composition of the second powder components and/or with a specific weight of the powder components differing more or less considerably and/or with other chemical or physical properties of the powder components being different.

In all these cases, there is the risk of segregation on the transport of the powder mixtures, solely due to the movements the powder mixtures are exposed to on transport. Powder mixtures therefore previously always had to be mixed again in a complex manner in a tumbling machine in the prior art before they could, for example, be used in thermal spraying.

In an example of an elongate packing in accordance with the invention very important for practice, the granular substance is, in contrast, packed secured against segregation in the packing pocket in that the granular substance is packed secured against segregation, for example, at an underpressure with respect to an environmental pressure. Since a sufficient underpressure is generated in the packing pocket with respect to the environmental pressure, the environmental pressure compresses the packing pocket so much that the individual grains of the granular substance are fixed in the packing pocket with respect to one another and against the skin of the packing pocket so that segregation no longer takes place on transport.

In another embodiment, the granular substance is e.g. pressed into the packing pocket at high pressure on packing so that the powder fills the inner space of the packing pocket to such a high degree that a segregation is prevented. In this respect, this embodiment can particularly advantageously be realized with a packing pocket which is produced from a sufficiently elastic material, for example from a plastic. In this case, an underpressure can also optionally additionally be generated in the packing pocket, which is, however, then no longer necessary in many cases.

The granular substance can in particular also be packed in the packing pocket in a protective gas atmosphere if a chemically sensitive substance should be packed in an elongate packing in accordance with the invention. For example in a noble gas atmosphere or in an inert gas such as nitrogen.

The elongate packing or the packing pocket is preferably manufactured from a plastic material, in particular from a plastic, specifically from a polyethylene. For insulation against an exchange of a fluid between an interior of the packing pocket and the environment, the packing pocket can be manufactured from a barrier material which, for example, prevents the exchange of gases such as oxygen or of liquids such as water or other fluids.

The barrier material is specifically a multilayer foil made up of different functional foils so that the interior of the packing pockets is simultaneously protected against the penetration of oxygen and water or so that a protective gas atmosphere can be maintained in the interior of the packing pocket.

In particular when a particular sealing of the packed powder is not of special importance, the elongate packing can naturally also be produced from a different material, for example from a woven material, from a carbon composite material, for glass fibers, metal fibers or other textile materials. The packing pockets and the strand itself in which the packing pockets are arranged can naturally also be produced from different materials.

So that the elongate packing in accordance with the invention can e.g. be divided simply into a plurality of part strands, a separation seam can be provided between two packing pockets, a type of desired breaking point at which the elongate packing can be easily split. In addition, a separation seam also allows a simpler and more compact folding of the elongate packing because the elongate packing can also be simply kinked at the separation seam without it being broken apart in so doing, which is above all very advantageous for the transport and for the storage since the space requirement is thereby minimized.

The invention further relates to a method for the loading of a treatment apparatus with a granular substance. In accordance with the invention, in this respect, for the treatment of a workpiece by a treatment device of the treatment apparatus, the granular substance is packed in an elongate packing of the present invention, with the elongate packing including a plurality of individual packing pockets of preset size and the elongate packing being supplied to the treatment apparatus such that a metered quantity of granular substance is supplied to the treatment device in two different packing pockets after one another at a preset time interval.

A conveying device is preferably provided for the carrying out of the method in accordance with the invention and the elongate packing is automatically supplied to the treatment apparatus by the conveying device. The conveying device can in this respect, for example, be realized in a manner known per se by a pair of rollers which guide the elongate packing. Other possibilities can also advantageously be used. A suitable perforation can thus be provided in the longitudinal direction at the elongate packing, for example, so that the elongate packing can be conveyed by means of a sprocket drive which engages into the perforation of the elongate packing. In this respect, further conveying devices and possibilities are absolutely known to the skilled person as to how the elongate packing can be conveyed in a simple manner.

In this respect, an opening means is very advantageously provided for the opening of the packing pocket so that the packing pocket is automatically opened by the opening means and the metered quantity of granular substance is automatically supplied to the treatment device. In this respect, a sharp blade or a knife can be considered as the opening means, for example, with which the packing pocket can be cut open so that the granular substance contained there can escape. Other opening means are naturally also possible, such as pliers, which tear open the packing pocket, or thermal opening means which fuse or melt open the packing pocket by means of heat open it in a different suitable manner.

In accordance with a specific embodiment variant of a method in accordance with the invention, the elongate packing extends along a longitudinal direction in a preset length, with the individual packing pockets being arranged at a preset interval, preferably at an equidistant interval, along the longitudinal direction so that a first chain of packing pockets is formed. In this respect, the elongate packing is supplied to the treatment apparatus in a transport container, a first end of the elongate packing is inserted into the conveying device and the elongate packing is automatically supplied to the treatment apparatus from the transport container in accordance with a preset temporal procedural scheme.

Specifically, in addition to the first chain of packing pockets, a second chain of packing pockets can be provided and a respective content of the packing pocket of the first chain and a content of the packing pocket of the second chain are automatically supplied to the treatment device. The content of the packing pocket of the first chain and the content of the packing pocket of the second chain can simultaneously be automatically supplied to the treatment device.

In an embodiment of a method in accordance with the invention for the loading of a treatment device of particular importance for practice, the treatment apparatus is an apparatus for thermal spraying and/or the material is treated by a thermal spraying method. The thermal spraying method is in this respect a flame spraying method, a plasma spraying method an HVOF spraying method or another thermal powder spraying method.

Specifically, the thermal spraying method is a rotating plasma powder spraying method, with preferably a plurality of cylinders of an internal combustion engine being automatically coated at a cylinder running surface after one another.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a treatment apparatus, in particular to a thermal coating apparatus for the use of an elongate packing and for the carrying out of a method in accordance with the invention described above.

The invention additionally in particular relates to a method for the manufacture of an elongate packing as well as to a packing apparatus for the manufacture of an elongate packing.

The invention will be explained in more detail in the following with reference to the drawing. There are shown in a schematic representation:

FIG. 1 a section-wise, a preferred embodiment of an elongate packing in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 1 b a section in accordance with FIG. 1 a along the line I-I;

FIG. 2 a second embodiment of an elongate packing;

FIG. 3 a multilayer foil for the manufacture of a packing pocket;

FIG. 4 a rotating plasma spraying apparatus in accordance with the invention for the coating of cylinder running surfaces;

FIG. 1 a shows a preferred embodiment of an elongate packing in accordance with the invention which will be designated as a whole by the reference numeral 1 in the following section-wise in a schematic representation.

The elongate packing 1 in accordance with FIG. 1 a includes a plurality of packing pockets 4 for the packing of a granular substance 2, 21, 22. The packing pockets 4 are arranged in the particular embodiment of FIG. 1 a in a first chain K₁ at equidistant intervals A along a longitudinal direction L. Each packing pocket 4 in this respect contains a granular substance 2, 21, 22 which is a spray powder 2, 21, 22 in the present example, and indeed in the form of a mixture of a first powder component 21 and of a second powder component 22. Each packing pocket 4 has a presettable size so that a meterable quantity of the spray powder 2, 21, 22 is packed closed with respect to an outer environment in each individual packing pocket 4. At least the packing pocket 4 itself is produced from a barrier material 400. The barrier material 400 in this embodiment of FIG. 1 a is a multilayer foil 400 which is made up of a plurality of different functional foils 401, 402, as will be explained later in even more detail with reference to

FIG. 3. For the safe transport of the elongate packing 1 by means of a conveying device 7, as is described in detail with reference to FIG. 4, for example, perforations 71 are provided at the margins of the elongate packing 1 into which e.g. a sprocket of the conveying device 7 can engage to supply the elongate packing 1 from a transport container 9 to a treatment apparatus 6, that is e.g. to a plasma spraying apparatus 6. The spray powder 2, 21, 22 is in this respect packed secured against segregation in the packing pocket 4 at an underpressure with respect to an environmental pressure.

The separation seams 5 can be seen clearly which allow the elongate packing 1 to be separated in a simple manner either at a separation seam 5 or to fold the elongate packing 1 in a compact manner by kinking at the separation seams 5 without separating it so that it can be transported and stored in a space-saving manner.

FIG. 1 b shows a section in accordance with FIG. 1 a along the line I-I from the direction of view II onto the elongate packing 1. It can clearly be recognized here how the granular substance 2, 21, 22 packed at underpressure in the packing pockets 4 is secured against segregation during the transport of the elongate packing 1. The packing pocket 4 which is at underpressure and which is manufactured from the elastic barrier material 400, folds tightly around the spray powder 2, 21, 22 packed in the packing pocket 4 due to the external environmental pressure and compresses said spray powder in the packing pocket 4 so that a movement of the powder grains within the packing pocket 4 is made largely impossible so that in accordance with the invention a segregation of the granular spray powder 2, 21, 22 can substantially no longer take place on the transport of the elongate packing 1.

A second embodiment of an elongate packing 1 of the present invention is shown in a schematic manner by way of example in FIG. 2. It is a specific embodiment in which the elongate packing 1 extend along the longitudinal direction L in a presettable length and the individual packing pockets 4 are arranged at a presettable equidistant interval A along the longitudinal direction L and form a first chain K₁ of packing pockets 4. In addition to the first chain K₁ of packing pockets 4, a second chain K₂ of packing pockets 4 is provided so that e.g. a different granular substance can be packed in the packing pockets 1 of the first chain K₁ than in the packing pockets 1 of the second chain K₂. The elongate packing 1 in accordance with FIG. 2 in this respect has no perforations 71 since the conveying device 7 for the conveying of the elongate packing 1 in accordance with FIG. 2 does not use sprockets, but conveys the elongate packing 1 with slip-safe roller arrangements such as is already known per se from many areas from the prior art.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a barrier material 400 for the manufacture of a packing pocket 4 such as can be used, for example, for the manufacture of the elongate packing 1 in accordance with FIG. 1 a or FIG. 1 b.

The barrier material 400 is a special multilayer foil 400 including three functional foils 401, 402, with an inner functional foil 401 being arranged between two identical outer functional foils 402. In the example of FIG. 3, the inner functional foil 401 is a gas sealing foil 401 which in particular, on the one hand, prevents the penetration of gases such as oxygen or other gases from the outside into the packing pocket 4. And, on the other hand a protective gas which protects the granular substance 2, 21, 22 contained in the packing pocket 4 and retains it in the packing pocket 4. In addition, the functional foil 401 can also serve to maintain an underpressure or an overpressure such as can perhaps be provided in the case of the use of a protective gas in the packing pocket 4.

The two outer functional foils 402 are liquid-sealing functional foils 402 in the example of FIG. 3 and, on the one hand, prevent the penetration of liquid, for example of water, into the packing pocket 4. With specific granular substances 2, 21, 22, they can also specifically serve to maintain a required residual moisture within the packing pocket 4.

It is self-explanatory that other types of functional foils 401, 402 can also advantageously be used in dependence on the demands and naturally more than three-layer barrier materials 400 are possible.

In FIG. 4, finally, a complete treatment apparatus 6 is shown schematically which is formed by a plasma spray apparatus 6 with a rotating powder plasma torch 61 with a powder supply device 62 as a treatment device 61. For reasons of clarity, the illustration of further important supply devices which the plasma spray apparatus 6 includes in a manner known per se was dispensed with. As the skilled person knows, in addition to the powder supply device 62, supply devices are also present, which are not shown, for the supply with electrical energy, cooling water, data lines, etc.

The rotating powder plasma torch 61 in FIG. 4 is coating the piston running surface 31 of a cylinder bore of a cylinder block 3 of a multicylinder V engine with a special thermal spray powder 2, 21, 22. For this purpose, the powder plasma torch 61 rotates, as shown by the arrow 601, about its axis and is simultaneously moved along its axis in accordance with the arrow 602 so that the piston running surface 31 is gradually completely provided with a thermal spray coating. When the cylinder bore is fully coated, a robot system not shown in FIG. 4 brings the cylinder block 3 into a new processing position such that an outer cylinder bore can likewise be coated. All cylinder bores of a cylinder block 3 for an internal combustion engine are coated after one another in this manner.

In accordance with the present invention, the spray powder 2, 21, 22 was packed in an elongate packing 1 for the thermal coating of the piston running surface 31 by the rotating powder plasma torch 61, with the elongate packing 1 including a plurality of individual packing pockets 4 of preset size and the elongate packing 1 being supplied to the plasma spray apparatus 6 such that a metered quantity of spray powder 2, 21, 22 is supplied in two different packing pockets 4 to the powder supply device 62 and thus to the rotating powder torch burner 61 after one another at a preset time interval.

A conveying device 7 with conveying rollers 70 is provided at the plasma spray apparatus so that the elongate packing 1 of the plasma spray apparatus 6 is automatically supplied by the conveying device 7.

In this respect, an opening means 8, here an electrically heated wire 8, is provided for the opening of the packing pocket 4 which automatically opens the packing pocket 4 by means of heat in that the packing pocket 4 is melted through at a presettable point by the heated wire 8 and the metered quantity of spray powder 2, 21, 22 is thus automatically supplied to the powder supply device 62 and thus to the rotating powder torch burner 61.

The elongate packing 1 in this respect extends along the longitudinal direction L in a preset length, with the individual packing pockets 4 being arranged at an equidistant interval A along the longitudinal direction L so that a first chain K₁ of packing pockets 4 is formed. The elongate packing 1 was in this respect delivered in a transport container 9, e.g. on a pallet 9, to the plasma spray apparatus 6 and a first end of the elongate packing 1 is inserted into the conveying device 7. In the operating state, the elongate packing 1 is then supplied automatically to the plasma spray apparatus 6 from the transport container 9 in accordance with a preset temporal procedural scheme. After the automatic emptying of the packing pockets 4, the elongate packing 1 is then transported away from the plasma spray apparatus 6 again, to the right in accordance with the illustration, and is supplied to a disposal station, not shown.

It is self-explanatory that the invention is not restricted to the embodiments described by way of example. The skilled person in particular understands that all described embodiments are likewise covered by the invention suitably combined and easily recognizes further developments of the claimed invention. 

1. An elongate packing for the packing of a granular substance, in particular for the packing of a spray powder for the thermal coating of a surface of a workpiece, characterized in that the elongate packing includes a plurality of individual packing pockets of presettable size, with a meterable quantity of the granular substance being packed closed with respect to an outer environment in the individual packing pocket.
 2. An elongate packing in accordance with claim 1, wherein the elongate packing extends along a longitudinal direction (L) in a presettable length; and wherein the individual packing pockets are arranged at a presettable interval (A), preferably at an equidistant interval (A), along the longitudinal direction (L) and form a first chain (K₁) of packing pockets.
 3. An elongate packing in accordance with claim 2, wherein, in addition to the first chain (K₁) of packing pockets, a second chain (K₂) of packing pockets is provided.
 4. An elongate packing in accordance with claim 1, wherein the granular substance is a mixture of a first powder component and of a second powder component.
 5. An elongate packing in accordance with claim 4, wherein a mean grain size of the first powder component is different from a mean grain size of the second powder component.
 6. An elongate packing in accordance with claim 4, wherein the first powder component has a chemical composition which is different from a chemical composition of the second powder components.
 7. An elongate packing in accordance with claim 1, wherein the granular substance is packed secured against segregation in the packing pocket, is in particular packed secured against segregation in the packing pocket at an underpressure with respect to an environmental pressure.
 8. An elongate packing in accordance with claim 1, wherein the granular substance is packed in a protective gas atmosphere in the packing pocket.
 9. An elongate packing in accordance with claim 1, wherein the packing pocket is manufactured from a plastic material, in particular from a plastic, specifically from a polyethylene.
 10. An elongate packing in accordance with claim 1, wherein the packing pocket is manufactured from a barrier material for insulation against an exchange of fluid between an interior of the packing pocket and the environment.
 11. An elongate packing in accordance with claim 10, wherein the barrier material is a multilayer foil made up of different functional foils.
 12. An elongate packing in accordance with claim 1, wherein a separation seam is provided between two packing pockets.
 13. A method for the loading of a treatment device with a granular substance, characterized in that the granular substance is packed in an elongate packing in accordance with claim 1 for the treatment of a workpiece by a treatment device of the treatment apparatus, with the elongate packing including a plurality of individual packing pockets of preset size and the elongate packing being supplied to the treatment apparatus such that a metered quantity of granular substance, is supplied to the treatment device in two different packing pockets after one another at a preset time interval.
 14. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein a conveying device is provided at the treatment apparatus and the elongate packing is automatically supplied to the treatment apparatus by the conveying device.
 15. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein an opening means is provided for the opening of the packing pocket, the packing pocket is automatically opened by the opening means and the metered quantity of granular substance is automatically supplied to the treatment device.
 16. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the elongate packing extends in a preset length along a longitudinal direction (L), the individual packing pockets are arranged at a preset interval (A), preferably an equidistant interval (A), along the longitudinal direction (L) so that a first chain (k₁) of packing pockets is formed, with the elongate packing being delivered to the treatment apparatus in a transport container, a first end of the elongate packing being inserted into the conveying device and the elongate packing being automatically supplied from the transport container to the treatment apparatus in accordance with a preset temporal procedural scheme.
 17. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein, in addition to a first chain (K₁) of packing pockets , a second chain (K₂) of packing pockets is provided and one respective content of the packing pocket of the first chain (K₁) and a content of the packing pocket of the second chain (K₂) is automatically supplied to the treatment device.
 18. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the content of the packing pocket of the first chain (K₁) and the content of the packing pocket of the second chain (K₂) are automatically simultaneously supplied to the treatment device.
 19. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the treatment apparatus is an apparatus for thermal spraying and the workpiece is treated by a thermal spraying method.
 20. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein the thermal spraying method is a flame spraying method, a plasma spraying method, an HVOF spraying method or another thermal powder spraying method.
 21. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein the thermal spraying method is a rotating plasma powder spraying method and a plurality of cylinders of internal combustion engines are automatically coated at a cylinder running surface after one another.
 22. (canceled)
 23. A method for the manufacture of an elongate packing in accordance with claim
 1. 24. A packing apparatus for the carrying out of the method in accordance with claim
 23. 